Sport Recife

Sport Club do Recife was founded on 13 May 1905 by Guilherme de Aquino Fonseca, a member of a wealthy family in Pernambuco who found a love for football while studying engineering at the University of Cambridge in England. The club were the first recorded football club in the state of Pernambuco. Sport played their first match on 22 June 1905, drawing 2–2 against a team called English Eleven, a team formed by employees working for English companies in Recife.

The Campeonato Pernambucano was established in 1916, and Sport won the competition's first two titles. From 1923 to 1925, Sport won the competition three consecutive times, and became tricampeão (three time champion).

Sport Recife celebrated their 50th anniversary in 1955 by winning their 15th state title. In 1957, the club toured Europe. A total of 17 matches were played, with 6 wins, 3 draws, and 8 defeats. These matches include the 5–3 loss against Real Madrid, which was the first night game at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Sport Recife participated in the 1963 International Soccer League, finishing fourth in their group, with 2 wins, 2 draws, and 2 defeats.

As a result of a dispute with the Federação Pernambucana de Futebol (FPF), Sport did not participate in the 1978 Campeonato Pernambucano.

The 1987 Campeonato Brasileiro/Copa União resulted in Sport's first national title, conquered in common justice. However, the club did not officially receive this title until 30 years later, in 2017. This was due to a dispute with Flamengo, who also claimed to have won the title, since the latter, champion of the 1987 championship, as well as Internacional, refused to compete in a quadrangular crossing with the finalist teams of Module B, in the case of Sport and Guarani. After topping group B in both the 1st and 2nd rounds Sport beat Bangu 5–4 on aggregate in the semi-final, and then Guarani 3–2 in the final. By winning the title, they qualified for the 1988 Copa Libertadores, but failed to qualify for the next stages of the competition, finishing third in their group, although with a notable 5–0 victory over Alianza Lima.

A terrible 1989 league campaign resulted in the club's relegation. However, they won the 1990 Série B, with a 1–1 draw on aggregate against Atlético Paranaense in the final, but were awarded the title due to their better record across the season. Led by Givanildo Oliveira, Sport won the 1st edition of the Copa do Nordeste in 1994, beating hosts CRB on penalties after a 0–0 draw in normal time.

In 2000, Sport won the Copa do Nordeste for the 2nd time, this time under the command of coach Celso Roth after a 2–2 draw against Vitória, again winning the title due to a superior record. In the next Copa do Nordeste edition, Sport finished as runner up, losing 3–1 to Bahia.

In 2006 Sport were promoted to the 2007 Serie A by finishing second in the league table, after five years in Série B.

Sport became the first club from Northeastern Brazil to win the Copa do Brasil, beating Corinthians on away goals in the 2008 final. By winning the cup, Sport contested its second Copa Libertadores in 2009, and had a great start, finishing first of a group containing LDU, Colo-Colo and Palmeiras. They were drawn against Palmeiras in the next round, but were defeated on penalties, after drawing 1–1 on aggregate. In the second half of 2009, Sport disputed the Brasileirão, but could not repeat the excellent first half of the year, and finished in last place with a 4–0 defeat to Sao Paulo on the last matchday, being relegated to Série B with four managers throughout the season.

O Leão da Ilha returned to Série A for the 2012 season, going through three managers – Helio dos Anjos, Mazola Júnior, and Paulo Gusmão, as they were relegated again with a seventeenth placed finish. Although they were in Serie B, Sport inherited a spot in the 2013 Copa Sudamericana by regulation of CBF towards the remnants of the Copa do Brasil. Leão were eliminated by Libertad of Paraguay with two losses in the 2nd phase, after eliminating Náutico.

2014 was a great year for Sport: they returned to Serie A, won their third Copa do Nordeste, 40th Campeonato Pernambucano, and finished 11th in the league, which ensured them a place in the Copa Sudamericana. Sport entered the 2015 Copa Sudamericana in the second stage, where they beat Bahia 4–2 on aggregate with an incredible comeback, as Bahia had won the first leg 1–0. In the next stage, they faced Argentine club Club Atlético Huracán. In the first leg played in Brazil, the match ended in a 1–1 draw. However the second leg in Buenos Aires ended in a 3–0 defeat, resulting in the club's elimination from the competition.

In 2021, Sport had an illustrious fan who became known nationally for participating in the TV show (Big Brother Brasil), Gil do Vigor. With his charisma and debauched way, he also showed the country his affection for the club of his heart: Sport. He was honored by the Club, and recognized as a symbol fan of the team and of Gay Pride. Today Sport Recife is also remembered as the "Turminha do Vigor", a team with a vision of the future, without prejudices that embraced its origin and history.